No-Makeup Makeup & Tips For a Natural Look

You wouldn’t wear a thick, wool turtleneck sweater during the summer, right? Well, a full-face of heavy foundation looks just as out of place. “When you think of summer makeup, it’s always fresh, natural, and sunny—never heavy,” says Avon celebrity makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan. “When we’re exposing more skin, it’s all about a healthy, radiant, no-makeup look.” Of course, there’s a practicability factor, too. “It’s not comfortable to be wearing so much makeup when you’re sweating!” she says. Ready to summer-ify your makeup? Here’s how to lighten up—and look gorgeous!—this season.

Choose the right foundation.

Deenihan suggests going for a medium-coverage formula. It will be just enough to cover redness and imperfections, but won’t make you look overly made up. And it’s even more important to choose a light, breathable formula that won’t feel suffocating on your skin.

Picking the right foundation is the key to getting a natural look. Our pick: Avon True Color Ideal Nude Foundation. It covers everything you want to hide, but still feels and looks light on the skin. Another plus for summer: It has SPF 20!

Apply it right.

Deenihan recommends starting in the middle of your face and using a fluffy brush and circular motions to “buff” your foundation into your skin. “Buffing it, instead of brushing it or rubbing it in with a sponge, gives a more natural look because it evens it out and really pushes it into the skin instead of just laying it on top,” she says. “It will give you that ‘second-skin’.”

Add some highlights.

To really take your no-makeup look to the next level, don’t forget highlighter! “Just be sure to avoid products with large flecks of glitter, because they won’t look natural,” says Deenihan, who loves mark. by Avon Touch & Glow Shimmer Cream Cubes.

“Brush it on the high points of your face: the tops of the cheeks, bridge of the nose, under the brows, and just above your cupid’s bow,” she says. “That is really going to accentuate your features and bring light to your face.”

Blush up.

Rosy cheeks ensure your no-makeup look won’t get too washed out. To keep your blush looking natural, stick to cream formulas (we like Avon True Color Be Blushed Cheek Color) and apply it right. “Keep the color to the apples of the cheek rather than giving yourself bold cheekbones,” says Deenihan. “It’s always going to look more natural when it’s just like a little pinch on the cheeks.”

Shift into neutral on your eyes.

Warm, found-in-nature shades of shadow on the eyes work best with the no-makeup look. “I like to stick to neutrals that have a warmth to them rather than a gray tone, so they freshen up the face and make you look a little more sun-kissed,” says Deenihan. “A champagne shadow is always really pretty for daytime. It just gives a little something on the eyes, but not a ton of color.” Try Avon True Color Eyeshadow Single in Champagne for a natural look.

Switch to brown mascara.

Brush on a few wipes of a brownish mascara like Avon True Color SuperExtend Nourishing Mascara in Brown Black. “Brown is still going to give you the definition, but it’s not going to be as dramatic as a dark, black mascara,” says Deenihan.

Go (pinky) nude on lips.

A tinted lip balm in a neutral-pink shade adds just enough pretty color. Deenihan’s universally flattering pick: mark. by Avon All Butter Now in Bare All. “It’s literally your lip color, but better,” she says. “It’s natural-looking, but it’s not so transparent that you don’t see anything. It will shape the lips and give them a little hit of color.”